Oakland Raiders: The Franchise’s All Time Starting Team

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders offensive line during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Left Guard – Gene Upshaw

With the seventeenth pick in the AFL’s 1967 draft, the Raiders took guard Gene Upshaw out of Texas A&M-Kingsville. Upshaw went on to play fifteen seasons for the Raiders and become one of Oakland’s most dominant linemen ever.

Upshaw earned an AFL All Star berth in 1968 and was named All AFL three times. After the merger, Upshaw went to six Pro Bowls, earned three All Pro selections, was a second teamer four other times, was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All Time team, the 1970’s All Decade team, and he was a two time Super Bowl champion. He was also the first player to ever play in the Super Bowl in three different decades (1967, 1976, 1980).

Upshaw is widely recognized in NFL circles as one of the greatest to ever play the position and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Next: Left Tackle